Can someone point me in the right direction?

[TheWomanizer]

What is the difference between 4 ohms and 8 ohms? And or 16 ohms? This
has puzzled me through the years and have never fully understood. I have
looked on the net but haven't found any helpful information. I am in process
of buying new bass amp and head and have option of 4 ohms or 8 ohms. Anyone
have any info or know where I can read up on this? Thank you,
M.O.D.

 

[default]

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 12:50:42 -0400, "TheWomanizer"
<NoWay@YouKiddinMe.com> wrote:

What is the difference between 4 ohms and 8 ohms? And or 16 ohms? This
has puzzled me through the years and have never fully understood. I have
looked on the net but haven't found any helpful information. I am in process
of buying new bass amp and head and have option of 4 ohms or 8 ohms. Anyone
have any info or know where I can read up on this? Thank you,
M.O.D.

The Ohm numbers refer to the impedance of the speaker (impedance is

the "resistance" of the speaker to the electrical voltage/current
applied to it).

Your amplifier will have some output impedance it is happy with. You
can always use a higher impedance speaker on an amp than the one it is
rated for.

If you do use a higher impedance speaker, you may lose some
"performance." For instance a 500 Watt amp is rated at 500 watts into
8 ohms, 1,000 watts into 4 ohms, and can drive a low impedance down to
2 ohms at 1,000 watts . . .

With an amp, you usually have power to spare, so there is no need to
go to a smaller impedance, unless you want more "power." More power
equals more heat, and pushes the amp closer to its maximum rating (if
it is well designed) or closer to burn out (if it is poorly designed).

Home speakers systems are usually rated at 8 ohms these days (16 was
common in tube days). Car radios are rated at 4 ohms.

The advantage of higher impedance amp/speakers is that the length of
the wire to the speaker will use less power with higher impedances
(amp AND speaker).

You can parallel (connect two speakers to the same output terminal0.
Say, for instance, your amp is rated at 4 ohms and the speakers (both)
are rated at 8 ohms. Speakers in two rooms, for instance . . .

Likewise, you can connect two 4 ohm speakers in series so they appear,
to the amp, as one 8 ohm speaker.

Or two pairs of 4 ohms (eight speakers total- for one channel) in a
series and parallel arrangement so they equal 4 ohms to the amp, or
one 8 in parallel with two fours in series for an equivalent of 4 ohms
total.

If you use too low an impedance than the amplifier is rated for, you
risk destroying the amp (output transistors - expensive if you don't
know how to replace them). Ditto shorting the speaker wires, even
very briefly, while the amp is working will destroy the amp. A short
is Zero ohms . . .

There is a math formula for calculating multiple parallel, and/or
series speakers of any impedance to find out what the total is.


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[Stepan Novotill]

4 ohm speakers seem to be more popular in cars, where there is less
voltage available. It avoids having to use a full bridge amp, or an
output transformer.

Don't use thin wires for hooking up 4 ohm speakers, or your losses and
source impedance will be too high.

My 2 cents.

....Stepan

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 11:04:20 -0400, default <R75/5@defaulter.net>
wrote:

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 12:50:42 -0400, "TheWomanizer"
NoWay@YouKiddinMe.com> wrote:

What is the difference between 4 ohms and 8 ohms? And or 16 ohms? This
has puzzled me through the years and have never fully understood. I have
looked on the net but haven't found any helpful information. I am in process
of buying new bass amp and head and have option of 4 ohms or 8 ohms. Anyone
have any info or know where I can read up on this? Thank you,
M.O.D.

The Ohm numbers refer to the impedance of the speaker (impedance is
the "resistance" of the speaker to the electrical voltage/current
applied to it).

Your amplifier will have some output impedance it is happy with. You
can always use a higher impedance speaker on an amp than the one it is
rated for.

If you do use a higher impedance speaker, you may lose some
"performance." For instance a 500 Watt amp is rated at 500 watts into
8 ohms, 1,000 watts into 4 ohms, and can drive a low impedance down to
2 ohms at 1,000 watts . . .

With an amp, you usually have power to spare, so there is no need to
go to a smaller impedance, unless you want more "power." More power
equals more heat, and pushes the amp closer to its maximum rating (if
it is well designed) or closer to burn out (if it is poorly designed).

Home speakers systems are usually rated at 8 ohms these days (16 was
common in tube days). Car radios are rated at 4 ohms.

The advantage of higher impedance amp/speakers is that the length of
the wire to the speaker will use less power with higher impedances
(amp AND speaker).

You can parallel (connect two speakers to the same output terminal0.
Say, for instance, your amp is rated at 4 ohms and the speakers (both)
are rated at 8 ohms. Speakers in two rooms, for instance . . .

Likewise, you can connect two 4 ohm speakers in series so they appear,
to the amp, as one 8 ohm speaker.

Or two pairs of 4 ohms (eight speakers total- for one channel) in a
series and parallel arrangement so they equal 4 ohms to the amp, or
one 8 in parallel with two fours in series for an equivalent of 4 ohms
total.

If you use too low an impedance than the amplifier is rated for, you
risk destroying the amp (output transistors - expensive if you don't
know how to replace them). Ditto shorting the speaker wires, even
very briefly, while the amp is working will destroy the amp. A short
is Zero ohms . . .

There is a math formula for calculating multiple parallel, and/or
series speakers of any impedance to find out what the total is.


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http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
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[Sheldon]

There's a guitar amp newsgroup that might be able to give you a better
answer that relates to power amps and cabinet matches. Also, don't be
afraid to contact the amp manufacturer for more info. While there are rules
regarding ohms and speakers, sometimes in the music world there are reasons
to break or bend these rules to get a sound you want.

"TheWomanizer" <NoWay@YouKiddinMe.com> wrote in message
news:9NK4b.3502$L6.2287@bignews6.bellsouth.net...

What is the difference between 4 ohms and 8 ohms? And or 16 ohms? This
has puzzled me through the years and have never fully understood. I have
looked on the net but haven't found any helpful information. I am in
process
of buying new bass amp and head and have option of 4 ohms or 8 ohms.
Anyone
have any info or know where I can read up on this? Thank you,
M.O.D.